I Was A Lego Judge

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I Was A Lego Judge

Last weekend I had the great fun of being a judge at a Lego Building Competition. Everyone involved was excited to be creating with family and friends. The Albany Museum of History and Art had this competition three times over their Family Weekend, with forty-seven teams competing. On the day I was a judge, most of the contestants were families with younger children. The theme was to build something inspired by the architecture of Albany, NY. I was unsure of what to expect, and wound up observing a variety of strategies: some people just walked in and asked to participate (although there was advanced registration, the organizers tried to make room when possible for everyone interested), creating on the fly. The majority of the teams, though, had a strong idea of what they were building, and brought in sketches and photos of their designs.

I was with three other judges, and I was relieved that all involved took their job seriously because, although everyone was having a good time, the builders were putting in a lot of effort. There were enough categories for everyone to take home a certificate–the challenge was pairing which award to which building. We had a good time chatting with the builders, making lists, and comparing notes until we all agreed on which was the most "historically accurate," "creative," or "innovative" creation. My son accompanied me as my adviser–though, mostly, he just enjoyed watching an expert Lego builder (and local sculptor) recreate a neighborhood church (this sculptor had been building all weekend and was not part of the competition).

This was the first time the Museum offered this activity–and from the overwhelmingly positive response, I hope they do it again next year!